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Is the electron round?

Event Dates:

Seminar Location:

Speaker Name(s):

E. A. Hinds

Speaker Affiliation(s):

Centre for Cold Matter, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London

Seminar Type/Subject

Scientific Seminar Type:

JILA Colloquium

Event Details & Abstract:

We have made a new measurement of the electron’s electric dipole moment (EDM) using a beam of YbF molecules.[1] <#_edn1>By measuring atto-eV energy shifts in a molecule, this experiment probes new physics at the tera-eV energy scale. According to the standard model, this EDM is – some eleven orders of magnitude below the current experimental limit. However, most extensions to the standard model predict much larger values, potentially accessible to measurement[2] <#_edn2>.Hence, the search for the electron EDM is a search for physics beyond the standard model. I will describe our experimental method, our current results and their implications for particle physics.I will also outline the prospects for further major improvement in sensitivity.[1] <#_ednref1>J. J. Hudson, D. M. Kara, I. J. Smallman, B. E. Sauer, M. R. Tarbutt, E. A. Hinds “Improved measurement of the shape of the electron”, Nature *473*, 493 (2011).doi:10.1038/nature10104[2] <#_ednref2>E. D. Commins, /Electric dipole moments of leptons/, in Advances in Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics, Vol. 40, B. Bederson and H.Walther (Eds.), Academic Press, New York, pp. 1-56 (1999).

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JILA is a joint physics institute of the University of Colorado at Boulder and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. We support an eclectic and innovative research program that fosters creative collaborations among our scientists. Collaborations play a key role in the pioneering research JILA and the JILA Physics Frontier Center are known for around the world. To learn more, visit our About JILA page.